Therapeutic lung-testing device.



I. w. NBBELTHAU.

THERAPEUTIC LUNG TESTING DEVICE. APPLIOATIOR' rILnn FEB. 28. 1905PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907;

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No. 864,908. PATENTED SEPT. 3, 1907. P. W. NEBELTHAU. THERAPEUTIC LUNGTESTING DEVICE.

APPLIOATIOH FILED FEB. 28. 1905. I

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UNITED PATENT OFFICE.

FREDRIOK W. NEBELTHAU, O1 MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO LUNGMANUFAC- TURING (10., OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OFMINNESOTA.

THERAPEUTIC LUNG- IESTING DEVICE.

Patented Sept. 3, 1907.

Application filed February 28,1905. Serial No. 2L7,673.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRIGK W. NEBELTHAU, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of l-lennepin and Stateof Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTherapeutic Lung-Testing Devices; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved apparatus for usein the treatment of diseases of the lungs and throat, and also forcatarrhal troubles. To this end, the invention consists of the noveldevices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined inthe claims.

My improved apparatus I term a therapeutic lung tester and it isadapted, at the same time, to test the air containing capacity of thelungs under inhalation, and to apply to the lungs, or other affectedpart, a medicated vapor. The device, therefore, affords both amusementand a beneficial medical, as well as physical, treatment.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a view principally in front elevation, but with some partssectioned, showing the improved device; and Fig. 2 is a verticalsection, taken approximately on the line a 9, of Fig. 1, some partsbeing left in full.

The numeral 1 indicates a suitable case, in the front face of which isan opening 2 that is closed by a graduated dial 3. Rigidly securedwithinthe case 1 is a .l'an case 4-, having closely spaced walls that arebulged outward at the periphery of said case 4', to form an annularchannel 5 that is approximately round in cross section. At its centralportion the fan case 4 has bearing hubs 6, in which is mounted a shortian shaft 7. To the fan shaft 7 is secured a pinion 8 and a plurality ofarms 9, which arms work between the closely spaced walls of the case 4,and are provided at their outer ends with cup-shaped fanblades 10 thatwork within the channel. 5 of said case i. The fan case 4 is providedwith a peripheral air inlet tube 11, shown as 'funnelshaped at its upperend. Said case 4 is also provided With a peripheral outlet tube 12, tothe projecting end of which is applied a flexible tube 13. At itsbottom, the fan case 4 is provided with a detachable medicine cup 14,shown as applied to a threaded nipple 15 depending froin the outlet tube12 of said fan case 4:.

Rigidly secured within the case 1, is a skeleton frame 16, in which isloosely journaled shafts 1.7, 18,

and 1.). The shaft 17 carries a spur gear 20 that meshes with the pinion8 on the fan shaft 7, and it also carries a pinion 21. The shaft 18carries a spur gear 22 that meshes with the pinion 21, and it alsocarries a pinion 23 that meshes with a spur gear 2-1: lrictionallymounted on the shaft 19. To the outwardly projecting end 25 of the shaft19 is secured a pointer 26 that works over the graduated dial 3. Theinner end of the shaft 19 is iormed angular, and is adapted to beengaged by a detachable key 27 which, as shown, projects through theperforation 28 in the back plate of door l of the case 1..

The frictional engagement between the gear 24: and shaft 19 is such thatthe pointer 26 will normally be carried by said shaft, and hence causedto travel over the dial under movements of the :ian. To set the poi uterback to zero, the key 27 is applied to the shaft 19, and the pointer maythen be turned without movement oi the chain of gears or of the fanhead.

On one end of the fan shaft 7 is a l anlike blade 29, which acts as aretarding device for the tan, and performs another important function,presently to be noted.

Pivoted at 30 to one side of the fan case 4, is a trip arm 31, providedat one end with a stop 32, and at its other end, with a flattened head33, that serves as a valve, to open and close an. air vent 34 in theoutlet tube 12, or other suitable part of the fan case. A stop 35 on the:tan case 1 engages a stop with one arm oi the tripping lever 31, thuslimiting the inward movement of the upper arm of the lever 31 to aposition in which its stop 32 will engage the blade 29 and intercept therotary movements of the Ian. The head or valve 33 of th e tripping lever31. is of such weight that said lever will normally stand shown in Fig.l, with said valve very close to the face oi? the air vent 34. A veryline meshed screen 36 is preferably placed over the mouth of the airinlet tube 11 to the fan case 4, so as to prevent the entrance of dust,small insects or other noxious substance into the fan case, and fromthence, into the lungs.

The dial 3 is graduated to indicate the expansion of the chest ininches, and also the cubic contents of the lungs in inches. In Fig. 1.the large numerals 1. to S inclusive marked on the face of the saiddial, indicate the chest expansion in inches, while the small numeralsmarked thereon indicate 'cubic inches of air inhaled through the device.

A suitable medicated oil. or liquid is placed in the medicine cup 15and, when the fan thrown into action, the vapors arising therefrom willbe thoroughly commingled with the air which is drawn into the fan casethrough the tube 11 and out through the tubes 1.2

and 13. When a very strong vapor is desired, medicated liquid may be runinto the case through the inlet tube, and the liquid thus introducedwill drop into the cup-shaped blades of the {an and will be dashed aboutand thoroughly commingled with the air, under the rotation of the fan.

The fan is adapted to be thrown into action and retated in'the directionindicated by the arrow marked thereon in Fig. 1, by suction produced inthe tube 12 and its flexible extension 13. This suction may be producedby placing the end of the tube 13 either in the mouth or in the nostril,and inhaling the medicated vapor. The first effect of inhaling with thetube 13 in the mouth or in the nostril is to produce a suction whichwill cause the valve or head 33 to move upward and close the air vent34, thereby carrying the tripping arm 31 into a releasing position, thatis, into a position in which. its stop 32 stands out of the path ofmovement of the blade 29 on the fan shaft 7, thereby releasing the saidlau. The fan will be rotated as long as suction is produced in the fancase by inhalation, but the instant that this suction is stopped, thevalve 33 will drop from the air vent 34 and move the stop 32 intoposition to intercept the movements of the blade 29, and thereby stopthe fan. The said tripping lever, and its valve or head therefore act asa tripping and stopping device l'or releasing the {an under the initialair pressure or suction, and for stopping the lan the instant the saidpressure or suction is stopped or interrupted.

As is evident, the greater the amount of air that is inhaled into thelungs by the use of the device, as above described, the farther thepointer 26 will be caused to travel over the graduated dial, therebyindicating the amount, or relative amount, of air inhaled by differentpersons, or at different times by the same person, both in cubic inchesand in chest expansion. This apparatus will indicate the chest expansionin inches which is actually due to inhalation,but will not indicate thechest expansion due to muscular action. It is a well known fact thatsome persons have the ability to produce an enormous chest expansion bymuscular action, so that the actual chest expansion is not a truemeasure of lung capacity. ln practice, separate mouth and nose pieceswill be provided {or application to the free end oi the flexible tube13.

By experiment, I have determined, to my own satisfaction, that themeasure, by inhalation, of the air storage capacity of the lungs is theonly proper way to test the lungs, and, of course, inhalation is theonly means of carrying medicated vapor into the lungs. The l efficiencyof the apparatus above described has been tested and thoroughly provenin actual practice.

From what has been said, it will be understood that the device describedis capable of modification within the scope of my invention as hereinset forth and claimed.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United Statesis as follows 1- 1. In an apparatus of the character described, thecombination with a fan, the case thereof having an air inlet and an airoutlet, of a suction tube applied to the air outlet of said fan case,whereby said fan may be driven by suction produced by inhalation, a fantrip normally holding the fan head against rotation, and means operat'ing to throw said trip into an inoperative position, to thereby releasethe said run head under the initial suction, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with afan, the ease thereof having an air inlet and an air outlet, 01 asuction tube applied to said air outlet, whereby said fan may beoperated by suction produced by inhalation, the air passage which leadsthrough said [an case having an air vent, and a trip normally holdingthe fan head against rotation and provided with a valve cooperating withsaid air vent and adapted to be moved by suction, to close said air ventand to release the fan head, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the com bination with afan comprising a case and a rotating fan head, said case having an airinlet passage, a tubular air outlet passage, and an annular marginalchamber, which is approximately round in cross section, and said fanhead having radial arms, provided with cup-shaped legs, working in theannular chamber of said case, the air inlet passage of which case standsin position to discharge a liquid directly into said cupshaped blades,substantially as described.

-i. In a lung tester, the combination with a fan, an indicator driventhereby, and means for causing said fan to be operated by suction, of atripping lever normally holding said fan against rotation, and means forthrowing said tripping lever into an inoperative position under aninitial suction, substantially as described.

in an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a fanand an indicator operated thereby, the case of said fan having an outlettube provided with an air vent, a blade or arm carried by the rotatinghead of the fan, and a tripping lever normally cngageable with said armor blade, to prevent rotation of the fan head, and provided with a valvecoiiperating with said air vent and adapted to be moved by suction, toclose said air vent and release the fan head, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDRICK W. NEBELTIIAU.

Witnesses v It is hereby certified that the name of the assignee inLetters Patent No. 864,908, granted September 3, 1907, upon theapplication of Fredrick W. Nebelthau, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, for animprovement in Therapeutic Lung-Testing Devices, was erroneously writtenand printed Lung Manufacturing 00., Whereas the said name should havebeen Written and printed Lung Bath Manufacturing 00.; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of October, A, D., 1907.

I E. B. MOORE,

Commissioner of Patents.

